update: advice regarding video consultations, we recommend
Video Consultations via DOXY.ME
Doxy.me is a software application widely used internationally and within New Zealand as a secure solution to provide telemedicine/telehealth services. Specifically designed for the purpose of providing healthcare its applications include but are not limited to standard health care consultations, counselling and health education. Castlecliff Health have set up a platform to use DOXY.ME for video consultations for the duration of the 'lockdown' (Level 4) and/or for the duration that routine face-face consultations are not recommended as per regulations.
Benefits to clients:
- Free to use for patients (We pay for the use of this software application).
- No downloads or creation of accounts required.
- Can be used on smartphones, tablets and computers.
- Data (details of video session with doctor/nurse) are encrypted, protecting privacy.
- Data is not stored either by DOXY.ME or by Castlecliff Health).
How it works:
When its time for your appointment you will receive a text or email as per your preference (we recommend text for efficiency of initiating communication if you were using your smartphone) from one of our clinicians. It will read something like this ' Hello. This is Castlecliff Health - Join me for a secure video meeting: https://Castlecliff.doxy.me/cch1'. When you receive this message via text or email you click on the link and you will be asked to enter your name and click 'Check In'. Once this is done you will enter the virtual waiting room. The clinician will receive a notification that you are now in the waiting room and will commence the video consultation. The whole process of starting a consultation takes less than 2 minutes. The session will end in 15 mins for a standard consultation. Please ensure you advise us if you need a longer consultation.
There is a scope to use other features of this tool in the future. For the time being though we have decided to stick to video consultations only to limit confusion given this will be a new experience for our clients as well as for the clinicians. We plan to continue use of this tool even following the return to 'normalcy' with the COVID-19 pandemic in those cases where it may be appropriate and safe to use in place of a face to face consultation. This will however depend on regulations which will decide how we operate in the coming weeks/months.
Advice from the team:
While we have commenced and continue to conduct audio/video consultations via various other software applications we recommend that clients consider moving to using DOXY.ME over the coming days if possible. We can support you through this if required. Advice we have received so far indicates that this tool provides a level of safety/privacy/confidentiality that is considered appropriate for clinical consultations.
The use of telehealth/telemedicine as a means to provide health care solutions has not been widespread in NZ. The COVID-19 pandemic has accelerated the use of telehealth/telemedicine and we anticipate that it will continue to be accepted as an avenue to provide health care solutions where appropriate in the future. We will keep you posted when we receive advice from the authorities in this area.
Telemedicine: Use of telecommunications technology to provide health care when the client and clinician are in different locations.
Telehealth: Similar to the above but for non-clinical/administrative services; meetings, education, training etc. to support clinical services.
Data Encryption: Conversion of data, in this instance the video/audio content of the consultation, into codes or symbols that render it unintelligible if intercepted, thereby protecting the privacy of data.
Doxy.me logo: Attached to the top right hand corner of this page for your reference.
